Jade's Tokyo Mystery: A Tale in Four Parts
by bibliophileemily
Summary: When one of the most successful companies in Tokyo receives a mysterious threat, Jade investigates, but he gets more than he expected when he has to reunite with an old friend-turned-enemy. AU: modern-day Japan. Hints of slash. Spoilers for game bad guys.
1. Chapter 1: Ki

**Author's Notes: **This story is grouped like Japanese four-panel comics, which mean there are four chapters, each of which has a specific function. The first, _ki_, sets up the story. Also, although this is set in Japan, and I do speak Japanese, I didn't want to use Japanese in my story, but some of the set phrases used in everyday life in Japan sound a little strange in translation. If anything sticks out just too weird, shoot me a line, and I'll put them back in Japanese (I'm hoping they blend in well enough, though). /tl;dr

_Ki_

"Chairman, you're wanted in the President's office."

"Understood," Jade Curtiss said, straightening his tie. He walked up the two flights of stairs, took the corridor on the left to the third door down; it was a route he knew by heart. He braced himself before entering; President Peony was notoriously messy.

"Please excuse me," he said while opening the door. As expected, Peony's tie was loosened, his hair wasn't tied up, and his feet were up on his desk, on top of the paperwork that was presumably due last week.

"Oh, hey, Jade!" the President greeted him casually. "I was wondering when you'd get here." He dropped his feet and swung himself up in his chair; Jade uneasily watched as the paperwork fell to the floor with other long-lost papers. "We've got a problem."

Jade remained unfazed, still distracted by the mess. "What sort of problem could possibly require my help?"

Peony bent over his desk. "Well," he said in a low conspiratorial tone, "there's been an outside threat on the company."

"Well, that's hardly unusual, President," Jade said, still unsurprised. "We've been in competition with the Kimlascan company for years; it's practically tradition for them to threaten us once or twice a year."

"I know," Peony said, his voice still low, "but one of our Kimlascan workers says it's not them. This attack came from _Daath_."

"Daath?" Jade blinked. "But they're a very important graphic designing company; they employ the Kimlasca and Malkuth companies equally..." Jade neglected to mention that either company would refuse Daath business if they didn't split their employment, but as Daath was struggling with its ratings, it couldn't afford to anger the most important software companies in the district.

"Why would Daath threaten our company?" Jade asked.

"I'm not sure," Peony said, producing a letter from the stack of papers on the floor, "but that's what I want you to find out."

* * *

Alone in his office, Jade read through the letter. It was typed in standard font, with more kanji than was usual for standard businessmen.

_Peony probably put me on the case because he couldn't read the letter_, Jade thought with a dry laugh. The letter's contents were not particularly alarming, but there was a definite threat to "destroy the company and tarnish the Malkuth family name" if the demands were not met. The demands were strange as well: either three million yen (entirely in 500-yen coins) or some codes for the newest software program, still in development. Jade knew there was no way the company would fulfill either demand, but he was curious about the person who wrote the letter.

There were several high-profile figures at Daath Publishing, but most of them worked under the main department manager, Van Grants. Van was a ruthless man who could persuade anyone to see his point of view; he disliked Jade because Jade was never swayed by him. Jade, however, admired the young man's devotion and leadership skills; Mohs, the owner of the company, wasn't doing anything for Daath.

As Jade walked into the Daath building, he fought to surpress the urge to shiver; for some reason, it was always cold in the building. It reminded Jade of the old Shinto shrines he'd visited with his parents, chilled by their age and importance.

He approached the desk of Van's secretary, Giselle Oslo, who glared up at him from her computer as if annoyed by the interruption.

"I'm guessing you don't have an appointment," she said in a rough, rude voice. "Not that it would matter; Mr. Grants isn't in."

"That's fine," Jade said evenly. "May I speak to the next highest supervisor?"

Ms. Oslo rolled her eyes as she reached for her telephone.

"Badaq? Oh, he's out? I'll just send him upstairs..." With a sigh, she clacked down the phone and pointed to the elevator. "Seventh floor, to your right; talk to a guy named Reiner."

* * *

When Jade reached the seventh floor, he found himself in a lavishly decorated office. Its pink, purple, and black color scheme was much too loud for his tastes, and the smell of roses, wafting from the large vase on the secretary's desk, was much too strong.

From behind the roses, a head popped up.

"Ah, Mr. Curtiss, sir," the head said, rising up to reveal a person who bowed low in respect. "Shall I tell the boss you're here?"

"The boss?" Jade frowned. "Just a moment, how do you know my name? Ms. Oslo didn't say..."

"I'll go fetch him," the man said, paying no attention to Jade's question. He disappeared behind a pair of double doors, bowing before he left.

Jade was mildly irritated, but he just shrugged. Perhaps Ms. Oslo had called him again to let him know exactly who was coming, but he hadn't given her his name either.

The double doors flew open. Reiner came out, stood to the side, and bowed as the man behind him stepped into the office.

Jade's eyes widened. 'No,' he thought. 'This can't be...'

The man, clad in a sharp black suit, red shirt, and yellow tie, tucked back a strand of pale hair and pushed up his glasses to stare at Jade.

"Well, well, well," he said. "Jade Curtiss...it _has_ been a while."

* * *

"Saphir," Jade did his best to cover his shock immediately. "I wondered if you had found work after leaving Malkuth."

"Shut up!" Saphir spat. "I would have never left if you hadn't-" He stopped to pull out a hankerchief and furiously wipe his nose. "It's all your fault! If you hadn't had made me leave-"

"Now, now, Saphir; it's rude to blow your nose in public. Now, I came for a specific reason," Jade said, moving forward. Saphir realized his intent and grudgingly led him past the double doors, which shut behind them.


	2. Chapter 2: Shou

_Shou_

"I know absolutely nothing about it," Saphir said, putting down his nail file and extending his hand to look at his work. "Why would I want to threaten your company?"

"Oh, no reason," Jade countered. "Unless you consider your recent departure from the Malkuth Company ten years ago, your death threat to President Peony, and the bad blood between you and me, there's no reason to suspect you." He glanced at the letter in front of him. "Not to mention that the amount of kanji used in this letter is quite typical of you."

Saphir took the letter and frowned at it. "Why would I make such a blatantly direct attack? It's so...undignified." He pushed the paper back towards Jade.

"You're right; if you were the one behind this, you would have used much, shall we say, flashier methods," Jade said, smiling.

Saphir tried his best to ignore the comment gracefully, but he couldn't help muttering something about 'no sense of style' under his breath.

"Saphir, this is a very serious case," Jade said. "You're a prime suspect considering your past with the Malkuth Company; if the President chooses to involve the police..." He left the sentence unfinished.

Saphir seemed visibly nervous. "I'm telling you, I did not write that letter! As you said, it's not my style." He leaned back his chair and crossed one leg over the other. "Now, I am tired of our conversation. Perhaps you should return to your company now."

"Perhaps I shall," Jade said, eyeing a photo frame on Saphir's desk. The overhead light was shining so that the picture was hidden behind the glare, but Jade knew the picture. Peony had the same one on his desk. "Saphir," he found himself saying, "shall we meet for dinner tonight?"

Saphir was visibly surprised; despite their history, Jade rarely had anything to do with him.

"Where?"

* * *

They met at a local cafe; Jade was already waiting at the table when Saphir hastily sat down. They ordered in silence; Saphir was still confused about why Jade had shown sudden interest in him.

Jade broke the silence first. "Where exactly has Mr. Grants been? Is he on business?" He casually refilled his water glass from the jug on their table.

Saphir's eyes narrowed. "Is that what this is? You're going to question me on what's going on in the company so that you can solve your little problem? Well, you're not getting any information out of me!"

"Information? Who's asking about information?" Jade said, his eyes wide and innocent. He smiled. "I'm just curious if Mr. Grants was on a business trip or if he was taking a vacation. I've been thinking of taking a vacation..." He looked off dreamily. "Kanazawa is so nice this time of year..."

Saphir's mood visibly brightened. "If it's a vacation you want, I would suggest going to Australia. It's very popular with honeymooning couples nowadays." He snuck a glance at Jade. "We do a lot of work for a travel agency; I've got connections, I could get us a deal for two..."

"Not interested," Jade said. The waitress brought their food out, and there was little conversation as they began eating. Saphir ate slowly, as if deep in thought. After a moment, he set down his chopsticks.

"Actually, Van isn't on vacation or a business trip; he's been missing," Saphir confessed. Jade didn't look up from his curry, but he cocked an eyebrow to show he was listening.

"We haven't wanted to involve the police, but he's been missing for about two weeks now. Of course, I'm not supposed to know any of this, but Sync talks too much, and Reiner is excellent at picking up the latest rumors..." He folded his hand under his chin and looked at Jade. "Perhaps your mysterious letter-writer thinks the Malkuth Company had something to do with his disappearance."

Jade put down his spoon and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "If that was the case, the letter would have mentioned something about returning Grants. Thanks for the meal," he said respectfully.

"Not if no one is supposed to know," Saphir countered. "After all, it's a secret; no one except Mohs and Giselle are supposed to know he's missing, and..." He looked embarrassed. "You're the first person to know outside the company."

"Doesn't Grants have connections with the Kimlascans? I remember reading in the news that he was a mentor to the President's sons."

"He was," Saphir confirmed, "but there's been tension between the two boys, and something about a marriage, and it's all been very confusing." Saphir was really getting into his element now, gossiping away like the old women Jade's mother used to talk with.

Jade let him jabber on for a while about the two Fabre boys and the daughter of the Kimlascan company and about the drama going on in their lives, but he tuned out the voice and concentrated on the problem of the letter. Despite Saphir's vehement denial that he wasn't involved, Jade sensed that he wasn't telling him everything. Grants' mysterious disappearance was also an inauspicious event. Jade had a feeling that Van was behind the letter, but until he had facts backing up this position, he couldn't press charges.

"So, Natalia has to choose between them, since she can't remember which one proposed to her as a boy, and her father doesn't care which one she marries!" Saphir continued gleefully. "Isn't it scandalous?"

Jade politely nodded; as annoying as Saphir was, he would have to put up with his company for a little longer.

They ended up at a karaoke bar, all-you-could-drink for two hours at a very reasonable price. Jade would have preferred a bar without the singing involved, but Saphir was so insistant that they sing together that he'd let himself be dragged into the establishment.

While Saphir was busy scrolling through the song list, Jade started scanning the wine list, desperate for something strong enough to dull the pain of hearing Saphir sing, but not strong enough to keep him from remembering any information Saphir would give him.

"Two screwdrivers," Saphir said to the passing waiter, who nodded and keyed it into his pad. "It's going to be a good night," he sang gleefully to Jade, who sighed heavily and resigned himself to flipping through the _enka_ songs in the back of the book.

A group of office ladies was doing some Korean pop song, dance included. Jade watched them for a moment, then turned to Saphir.

"So, you were going to tell me more about Van?" he asked. "About the Kimlasca company heirs and his relationship with them?"

Saphir shook his finger. "Not so fast. You have to sing first. No song, no information."

Jade gritted his teeth in the form of his usual smile. "Is that so? How many songs are required for the full story?"

Saphir slyly looked across the table. "Three. You pick one, I pick one for you, and then we sing one together."

Jade took one last look at the wine list and waved the waiter over. "As you wish, runny nose."


	3. Chapter 3: Ten

_Ten_

Saphir woke up with a pounding headache. He was on the bathroom floor of Jade's apartment; Jade was gone, already at work for the day. Saphir stood up and immediately wished he hadn't. Why, of all the possible drinks available, had he chosen vodka? He should have gone with something less strong.

He staggered out of the bathroom to find a loaf of bread, bowls of rice, miso soup, and pickles; some pain relief medication, and a note from Jade.

"I called in for you at work," it read. "You were quite ill last night. Make sure you eat; it will help with the pain."

Saphir took the note, moved into Jade's bedroom, and collapsed on the bed, unable to move any further.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight: you still have no idea where Van Grants could be?" Peony asked.

Jade kneaded his temple with his fist. "With all due respect, but I believe we've gone over this point five times more than necessary. Saphir is not very coherent when drunk." Jade closed his eyes and recalled the scene.

_ Saphir had only had two screwdrivers, but already his tongue was looser than usual. Jade was certain he'd be able to get information out of him easily. _

_ "So, tell me, Saphir: did Van say anything about leaving before he disappeared?"_

_ "He most certainly did not," Saphir said. "In fact, it was Mohs who crawled out of the woodworks on his special errand to let us know that Van was on extended leave on company business. Of course, that's probably a lie, but we aren't supposed to know that..."_

_ "Mohs?" Jade frowned. "I thought he was just a figurehead, not directly involved with the company."_

_ "Oh, he's involved, all right," Saphir said derisively. "He gets involved whenever profits go down or we're not featured in the press enough." He flicked a straw wrapper off the table. "Textbook attention-whore, that one."_

_ "Now, now, let's not cast any stones, dear Saphir...anyway, please go on about Mohs."_

_ "Anyway, Mohs was growing concerned with Van's involvement with the Kimlasca company. I suppose he was worried Van might want to switch jobs. _

_ "Of course, the whole business with the Kimlasca company and Natalia's marriage took over the news, and Mohs was furious. He kept clamoring on about how this was going to ruin the company, that without media attention, Daath would flounder, so on and so forth. He was practically purple with rage," Saphir remarked, sipping his new cocktail._

_ "Why would this anger him so much?" Jade asked. "Daath depends on both Kimlasca and Malkuth for software; it's not like they're competitors."_

_ "Not sure; perhaps it has to do with what kinds of software we get from each company. Malkuth and Kimlasca may both be software companies, but we never buy the same type of things from them both."_

_ "I see...but I still don't understand why Mohs would view the Kimlascan company as such a huge threat."_

_ "Well, he's at a critical point right now; in his late forties, still unmarried...he's been working on his pet project too."_

_ "Pet project?"_

_ "Club Lorelai, Tokyo's hottest new nightclub," Saphir said. "It's divine fun there, but Mohs is concerned that he's not getting enough revenue from the Daath company to justify continuing the club's upkeep."_

_ "Doesn't the club make enough money?" Jade asked. "If it's the hottest new nightclub, surely it can handle its own costs."_

_ "Well, see," Saphir said, finishing off his third screwdriver, "Mohs has this crazy idea that he has to have both companies constantly increasing in profits. He can't handle it when other companies are ranked higher than his in popular opinion, not even if they are both his own."_

"Mohs seems like a pretty illogical guy," Peony remarked.

"An opinion I share," Jade sighed, "but I'm certain you will agree that Mohs is certainly a suspect in this case."

"It all checks out; we've been doing superbly well, enough to get featured in an American finance magazine. Although we haven't been in the local news ever since the family drama over at Kimlasca, we've consistently had higher sales and better customer reviews..." Peony scratched his head. "But what I can't figure out is why us? Why would Mohs target us when we haven't got that media attention? If our company was to go down, we would be even more popular in the news."

"Perhaps he's trying to make it look like someone else is targetting us," Jade postulated. "Or perhaps Van really is the one who wrote the letter, and Mohs is just the enabler."

"Well, whoever did it, we're not going to know until we get a little bit more information," Peony stared off, thinking hard.

"How is old Saphir doing?" he asked suddenly. "I haven't seen him in years."

Jade was taken aback by the question. "As well as to be expected for a bitter, lonely old man," he replied testily.

"You're no better, Jade," Peony laughed. "Tell you what, you go out with Saphir again. Check out this Club Lorelai; see if you can find out for sure who's behind this whole mess."

Jade frowned. "If I must."

* * *

Saphir was still in Jade's bed when Jade got home from work, but he had eaten and was reading one of the books from the nightstand.

"You're still here?" Jade said after removing his shoes and stepping into the kitchen. He walked into the bedroom and sighed. "I was hoping you'd have run back home by now."

"Can I help it if I'm comfortable here?" Saphir said, stretching out. "My apartment is so small; I have to share my futon space with Reiner." He looked longingly at Jade's bathroom. "You've got such a huge bathtub."

"I'd let you take one," Jade said, "but we'll be late if you don't go and get a change of clothes." Saphir's confused look provoked further explanation. "You peaked my interest last night; I'd like to go to Club Lorelai tonight."

* * *

Jade had never attended a nightclub before; he was uncomfortable before he had even arrived. Saphir, however, was in his element, dressed in a fabulously gaudy costume complete with open shirt and sleek purple pants. He'd entered and showily air-kissed two scantily-clad women, who'd wrapped a pink feather boa around his neck.

Jade just leaned against the bar, waiting for his scotch. After receiving it, he looked up to spot familiar blond hair in the crowd.

"President," he said, rushing over, "what are you doing here?"

Peony, who had a girl on each arm, looked guiltily back at Jade. "Uh...Koko, Non-chan, I'll check up with you two later." The girls ran off giggling. "Keep it down, man; I just had to check this place out!" He looked closer at Jade. "What's up with the outfit?"

Jade made a minor sound of annoyance. "Saphir made me wear it," he said.

"Huh. Well, you look like some sort of army person," Peony observed. "Anyways, think my disguise is good?" He spread out his arms, showing off his odd getup.

"Hardly," Jade replied drily. "Suppose Saphir were to see you?"

"Don't you worry about that," Peony said, patting Jade on the head; Jade ducked to get out of range. "You just go and scout for information while I get some more information about those cute little numbers over there."

Jade rolled his eyes; Peony always had too much interest in the ladies. He returned to the bar, where Saphir was ordering a few drinks for his companions.

"Ah, Jade!" he waved him over. "Come meet my friends." Jade bowed politely and heard their names (which he promptly forgot). They talked for a while before the girls wandered off to dance with a newly-arrived foreigner, who lapped up the attention.

"Find out anything yet?" Saphir asked.

"Hardly," Jade said, ordering another drink. "It's impossible to see anything in this crowd."

"Well, of course it is, when you stay here by the bar the entire time," Saphir scowled, then pulled the drink out of Jade's hand. "Come with me."

"Saphir, what are you-?" Jade stopped when Saphir let go of him then pressed against him, clearly dancing.

"You're in the hottest nightclub in the city, Jade, and you aren't going to dance for even one song?" Saphir asked. "Not if I have anything to do with it." He immediately began shaking his non-existant hips, then looked at Jade, clearly expecting him to join in.

"This cannot be happening," Jade fumed, but it was happening, and against his will, he and Saphir were dancing to the infectious beat of the music.

For some reason, Saphir, who was the most awkward, graceless person Jade had ever met, looked completely at ease on the dance floor; although he occassionally bumped into Jade, it always seemed like it was on purpose and part of the dance. The lights flashed, and Saphir spun then crashed against Jade. That was definitely on purpose; their bodies were pressed much too close together for it to be an accident.

"Saphir..." Jade was quickly running out of a witty way to get out of the situation. Saphir just looked up and made eye contact with Jade. No one did that.

The music slowed, and the moment seemed to stretch; Saphir's eyes closed, and his face tilted up; Jade could see a hint of purple lip gloss.

The music sped back up, and someone bumped Jade from behind, knocking him into Saphir. Their lips met for the briefest second.

Jade broke away, eyes wide, searching for an escape when he spotted a familiar-looking silhoutte across the crowd.

"J-Just a moment, Saphir..." He worked his way through the pulsing crowd to see the tall figure bend down to whisper into a young man's ear. Jade couldn't quite tell with the lighting, but he had a strong feeling that the younger man's hair was red.

"Van..." he muttered. "Probably with one of the Fabre boys." A bigger man came out from the side and made a beeline for the first man.

"Mohs?" Jade had to see this. The song changed, and the lights changed to a single strobe light; in four beats, Van and Mohs saw each other, Van pushed the boy behind him, Mohs got in Van's face, and Van struck a blow.

"Son of a bitch!" someone screamed. The music continued louder than ever, but a few people were noticing that there was something going on in the west side of the club. Largo, one of the giant bouncers, began moving toward the ruckus. Jade froze, watching the fight progress, then reached out and grabbed the Fabre boy as he attempted to push past.

"You're coming with me," he said as the boy struggled, "and if you want me to be nice, you're going to answer each question I ask honestly and without much hesitation." Peony appeared at Jade's side, cell phone in hand, and together, they walked toward one of the private rooms of the club.


	4. Chapter 4: Ketsu

_Ketsu_

The matter was settled relatively quickly; apparently, Mohs wanted the Kimlasca and Malkuth companies to feud in order to lower their prices and generate more profit for Daath, so he forced Van to write threatening letters to both of them. Van wrote the letters against his will, but he still had to leave work to prevent others from tracing his involvement. Unfortunately, Van had chosen a bad hiding place, going to tutor the Fabre boys, and when the Kimlasca Company received their threat, the eldest boy, Asch, figured out that Van was involved. Van had no choice but to run, taking only the younger boy, Luke, who believed he was innocent, with him.

Considering Van's considerable sorrow at ever being involved in such a thing, Peony decided not to report Van's actions, but Mohs was arrested as soon as the police were notified. However, Van had lost his job, and unless the Daath company got a new president soon, the company was likely to fail.

Saphir, of course, was in quite a state; still wearing the boa, he was pacing Jade's kitchen, ignoring the mug of tea Jade had made for him.

"I can't believe that Mohs! Such filthy methods are so below the Daath company! I'm too embarrassed to admit I work there!" he raved. "And Van! Engaging in fisticuffs with the boss! Oh, I could just die of shame!" He slumped into the chair, nearly knocking over the tea.

"Now, now, Saphir," Jade said, putting down his dishrag to move the tea to a safe place. "One should never be ashamed of the actions of co-workers. Why, I once had a co-worker who severely embarrassed the company, endangered several lives, and threatened the President, and I can still go to work every morning with a smile on my face."

Saphir's face clearly showed the hurt, but he just adjusted his glasses and looked into his mug. "Not that that means much...your smile's fake."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said your smile's fake, Jade," Saphir said, staring even deeper into the mug. "You haven't truly smiled since I left, and we both know why."

Jade's smile fell, and he turned smartly back to the dishes. "I haven't any idea what you're talking about."

"Peony may let you get away with running away from your problems, Jade, but I won't let you do it with me," Saphir shouted, then, as if surprised, he lowered his voice. "We were friends once, Jade. Best friends; at least, you were mine..."

"Don't, Saphir," Jade said in a strained voice. "Don't bring up the past."

Saphir looked up from his tea; Jade's back was tense, as if trying to keep out Saphir's words.

"I should go," he said, setting down the mug.

"You know where the door is," Jade said, not turning around.

The door shut quietly. Jade didn't move, the same dish still in his hands. He had been washing the same dish for three minutes. The water was cold.

"Saphir!" He was still in his house slippers, already running down the hall toward the stairs. "Saphir, wait!"

Saphir turned from where he'd been waiting for the elevator; it was clear he'd been crying, with tell-tale lines of moisture running from his nose and on his cheeks.

"I thought...you didn't want to remember..." Saphir stammered.

"I don't," Jade said, "but that doesn't mean I can keep running away."

"Jade..." Saphir pulled out his handkerchief and hastily wiped at his nose and eyes.

"Saphir," Jade said, putting his arm awkwardly around Saphir, "I did say I'd let you take a bath if there was time. Would...now be a good time?"

Saphir sniffed again then put his hand on Jade's arm. "Now would be perfect.


End file.
